Woolson said he likes Pawlenty’s record, style and profile as a governor. And Woolson worries that Huckabee’s summer time frame for deciding whether to run again may be too long.

This tells us a few things. First, either by intention or by tardiness, Huckabee is taking himself out of the race. Iowa is Huckabee’s strongest shot before South Carolina, and if he’s not organizing now he’s losing precious time -- and staff. Second, Pawlenty is serious and is building his ground game. He need not win the Iowa caucuses, but a finish in the top three would be a boon to his campaign. And third, everyone who is not displaying certainty and fielding Iowa staff (Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, for example) is, should he later get into the race, going to have to play catch-up -- or skip Iowa altogether.